UPM Tilhill has achieved dual certification for the management of 170,000 hectares of forests, under its resource and group manager schemes, the largest scheme for private forest owners in the UK.

UPM Tilhill has been certified for responsible forest management by FSC since March 2000 and is now also certified by PEFC. It is the first time PEFC forest management has been available in the UK and UPM Tilhill is one of the first organisations to achieve dual certification.

This will enable sellers of timber and other forest products supplied directly from UPM Tilhill-certified forests to display either the logo of PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes) or the logo of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). These logos provide an assurance that the products originate from well-managed forests.

George McRobbie, Forestry Director for UPM Tilhill, commented: "We have had a number of buyers of timber and other forest products looking for PEFC-certified timber from UK forests and this move anticipates what I believe will be an increasing demand. We will continue to offer FSC certification as well. Both schemes use the UK Woodland Assurance Standard (UKWAS) as the basis for certification in the UK, and both are recognised by the Government's Central Point of Expertise on Timber (CPET) as providing suitable evidence of legality and sustainability for public-sector timber procurement purposes."

UPM as a company promotes good forest practices through forest certification. It recognises and utilises credible forest certification schemes including the two major international ones, namely FSC and PEFC.

PEFC is the world's largest forest certification system. Its credible standards seek to transform the way forests are managed globally - and locally - to ensure that all of us can enjoy the environmental, social and economic benefits that forests offer.

Source: Blueberry PR .